Ahmad Abu Raida was only 16 when Israeli soldiers repeatedly used him as a human shield for five days in Khuza'a, southern Gaza.Israeli soldiers repeatedly used Ahmad Abu Raida, 17, as a human shield for five days while he was held hostage during Israel’s ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. Ahmad, from Khuza'a, near the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis, was just 16 years old when he was taken from his family on July 23. He was forced at gunpoint to search for tunnels for five days, during which time he was interrogated, verbally and physically abused, and deprived of food and sleep. Ahmad told DCI-Palestine in a sworn testimony that Israeli soldiers attempted both to extract information from him regarding Hamas members, and recruit him as an informant, before releasing him on July 27. "The Israeli military has consistently accused Hamas of using civilians - particularly children - as human shields, but this incident represents a clear case of their soldiers forcing a child to directly assist in military operations," said Rifat Kassis, executive director of DCI-Palestine. "Israeli officials make generalized accusations while Israeli soldiers engage in conduct that amounts to war crimes." Ahmad’s ordeal began on July 21, when Israeli tanks entered Khuza'a, a town where Israeli forces allegedly committed war crimes during the the ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. After two days of hiding at home, Ahmad’s family and neighbors attempted to flee intense artillery fire. As they tried to leave, however, Israeli soldiers assembled civilians, separating young men from others. Ahmad was singled out, detained with his hands tied behind his back, and kicked and insulted by a soldier. His family was released, but lost sight of him as they fled the area. In the days that followed, despite not being associated with Hamas, Ahmad was interrogated about his political affiliation and the location of Hamas tunnels. He managed to sleep for just two hours on the first night, sitting in a chair with his hands tied behind him. Every day he was made to search for tunnels, including at one point digging under the afternoon sun. Speaking to DCI-Palestine, Ahmad said, "[The Captain and the soldiers] were walking behind me, with their rifles pointed at me. "Get in and see if there are tunnels or not," [the Captain] ordered me. They made me search all the rooms for tunnels. Whenever I told them there were no tunnels, they would take me out and search the room themselves." Ahmad details an almost constant stream of abuse and threats during his detention, including kicks and punches, whips with a wire, and threats of a sexual nature. When he was left alone in a civilian house for a period, he found some note paper and wrote a secret letter to his family, believing that he would be killed. On Sunday, July 27, he was finally released. Ahmad's father confirmed that, for five days, the family believed that he was dead.

Ahmad Abu Raida found a notepad and a pen in one of the homes he was forced to search by Israeli soldiers. Worried he'd never see his family again, he wrote the following: "I spent Friday, July 25, with Israel occupation soldiers who locked me in this room. I do not know whether I am going to live or they are going to kill me. I do not know anything about what might happen next to me. I am writing this letter hoping someone would find it and inform my family about it. In case I die or get arrested, please send my greetings to my family. Ahmad Jamal Abu Raida."

The use of civilians as human shields, which involves forcing civilians
to directly assist in military operations or using them to shield a
military object or troops from attack, is prohibited under international law. The practice is also prohibited under Israeli law based on a 2005 ruling by the Israeli High Court of Justice. Israel has repeatedly blamed
the high civilian death toll in Gaza on Hamas, accusing them of using
civilians as human shields. Human rights groups and journalist have
found no evidence
to support the claim. The mere presence of Palestinian armed group
members among the civilian population does not rise to the standard
under international law.
During the six-week long bombardment of the Gaza Strip, over 2,000
Palestinians, most of them civilians and including more than 460
children, have lost their lives. On the Israeli side, 67 people have
died, of whom 64 were soldiers. The high Palestinian death toll has provoked outrage among the international community, with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemning
the loss of Palestinian lives. Despite this, however, international
attempts to broker a sustained ceasefire and reach a solution through
negotiations in Egypt have failed. Violence returned to Gaza on
Wednesday as Palestinian groups renewed rocket fire, and Israel
retaliated with over 60 airstrikes.
Ahmad, like all Gazans, is living in a state of instability and
violence once again. Remembering his ordeal, he said, "I lived through
fear, terror, ate disgusting food, could not sleep normally, was not
treated like a human being, was shot at, ordered to walk in front of
the soldiers, forced to search for tunnels and dig in a well at noon,
not to mention being insulted, humiliated and interrogated every day."

At least 34 Palestinians died on Thursday as Israeli planes bombarded Gaza for the second day in a row after a temporary ceasefire fell apart after weeks of fighting, as the Palestinian negotiations delegation accused Israel of failing to respond to an offer for peace.

The deaths brought the death toll in Israel's nearly 50-day assault on the besieged coastal enclave to at least 2,083, a number that was expected to rise Thursday night as Israeli airstrikes continued pounding targets all over the Strip.

Medical authorities in Gaza say that nearly 10,500 have been injured in the Israeli assault so far, including at least 200 in the last two days, and tens of thousands of who had returned home amid a fragile calm during the temporary ceasefires once again were left fleeing for shelters.

The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Thursday that around 435,000 Palestinians -- or around one-third of the entire population of Gaza -- had taken refuge in UN shelters. Of those, more than 100,000 have been left homeless, while many of the others' homes have been damaged.

UNOCHA also estimated that of the 3,000 children who had been injured, 1,000 would suffer from a life-long disability, in addition to the estimated 1,500 who are now orphaned and the 373,000 who the organization says will need direct and specialized psychological counseling.

As the bombs continued falling on Gaza City Thursday overnight, these figures were only expected to increase.

Negotiations not a 'complete failure'

Earlier on Thursday, a member of the Palestinian delegations team at ongoing indirect peace talks in Cairo told Ma'an that they were still waiting for a response from Israel on a truce offer they had submitted.

A Hamas spokesman told Ma'an on Wednesday that the team -- which comprises representatives of all major Palestinian political groups -- submitted a new proposal that offered some concessions to Israeli demands, without offering specifics.

Palestinians have demanded in the negotiations that Israel end its eight-year blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has crippled the tiny coastal enclave's economy and led to widespread suffering, as well as re-open an airport and seaport, among other demands.

Israel, however, has demanded Gaza be demilitarized, a demand that Palestinian resistance groups have scoffed at in the wake of the massive Israeli military assault.

On Thursday, member of the talks team Qais Abd al-Karim said that the negotiations were suspended when the Israeli delegation withdrew, stressing that the Palestinian negotiators were still interested in peace.

Abd al-Karim, who is a Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine activist also known as "Abu Laila," added that despite the Israeli withdrawal and the ongoing assault on Gaza, the team had "assured the Egyptians that we still consider negotiations to be going and we are still waiting for a response for our proposal."

"We cannot describe what happened in Cairo as a complete failure for negotiations," he added.

Abd al-Karim's statements come only a day after Hamas blasted Israel for its failure to present a reliable partner for peace, accusing Israel of fabricating claims that Hamas had violated a temporary ceasefire by launching three rockets the day before.

On Thursday, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri reacted to the Israeli killing of three top Hamas commanders by saying that the "assassinations failed to weaken the resistance, or provide security for Israelis."

He also said that the threats made by Israeli defense minister Moshe Ya'alon to assassinate Hamas leaders "do no scare" the movement.

"The names of all these leaders will turn into the names of rockets that will burn Zionists," he added in response.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported Thursday night that an additional 7 people were killed by Israeli airstrikes Thursday evening, including a child, bringing the death toll to 30 on Thursday.

Two men were killed in the al-Nasser neighborhood of Gaza City by an Israeli airstrike that targeted a car they were driving. Mohammad Ahmad Abbas 45 and Essam Muhammad al-Hasnah, 26

In Rafah, two young men were killed when an Israeli missile struck their motorcycle as they were driving on the road. They were identified as: Marwan Mohammad Abu Shallouf, 29, and Ibrahim Essam Hammad, 22

A man and a child were killed in the central Province, and four people were wounded. Those killed were identified as: Mahmoud Talaat Shreiteh, 14 and Bashir Ahmed Shreiteh, 35

This brings the total number of people killed on Thursday to 30.

Doctors have been shocked by the severity of wounds coming in to the hospitals – they have found evidence of the Israeli military’s use of banned weapons like DIME weapons.

DIME explosives (Dense Inert Metal Explosive) create lethal destruction in small areas. The bombs contain a high density of tungsten and other heavy metals, including cobalt, nickel, and iron. They also contain some amount of depleted uranium.

When they explode, DIME weapons set off a chain reaction of powder in the bomb, resulting in a very dense cloud of microscopic fragments of the heavy metals – even inhaling the dust from the bomb can lead to death, according to the Ministry of Health.

Wounded Sisters In Gaza23 Palestinians Killed On Thursday Palestinian medical sources in the Gaza Strip have reported that eight Palestinians, including three children, have been killed and many Palestinians injured, including four children who suffered serious injuries after the Israeli army fired missiles into the Nafaq Street, in Gaza City. Update: 15:20: The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said that two Palestinians were killed, and several others injured, when the Israeli Air Force fired a missile targeted a car in Nasr Street, in Gaza. The Two have been identified as:

In addition, soldiers fired a missile into the Sheikh Radwan Graveyard in Gaza, while families where burying loved ones, killed in an earlier Israeli bombardment. Four were killed in the shelling and scores have been injured, some seriously.

Two siblings, Rima and Siba, suffered seriously injuries as the army heavily bombarded Tal al-Sultan area, in Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, the al-Ray News has reported. The two children were injured in their home.

Several Palestinians were also injured when the army bombarded a home in Nusseirat refugee camp, in central Gaza.

Soldiers also fired a missile at a motorcycle in Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, causing two injuries, one seriously.

Meanwhile, armed resistance groups in Gaza fired several missiles into Israeli area, as the Israeli military continued to bombard Gaza.

The al-Quds Brigades of the Islamic Jihad said it fired four Grad missiles into Esdod (Ashdod), while other resistance groups said they fired missiles close to Lod Airport in Ramla.

Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine also said it fired missiles into two settlements close to the border with Gaza.

Twenty Palestinians have been killed Thursday, 48 in two days, while 2069 Palestinians killed, and 10310 have been injured since July 8.

Israeli authorities on Thursday said that both the Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings between Gaza and Israel will remain open despite the fact that rockets had been fired at both terminals from the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military's coordinator of Gaza affairs Faris Atiyeh said in a statement Thursday that around a dozen missiles fired from Gaza had struck both the Kerem Shalom crossing and the Erez crossing the day before.

Such attacks, he said, affect the daily operations at the crossings, but despite that the army has no plans to shut them down because they are "the lungs through which the Gaza Strip breathes."

Israel has maintained a crippling economic siege on Gaza for the last eight years, strictly limiting all imports, exports, and movement of people while allowing small amounts of goods to enter through the two crossings.

The statement added that Israel had also cancelled a decision to allow Gaza fishermen to fish within a range of three nautical miles off the coast. The cancellation came after fishermen abstained from fishing despite the initial decision.

Israeli forces have fired at Palestinian fishermen multiple times in recent weeks as they have tried to take advantage of temporary ceasefires to fish.

Israeli airstrikes have also destroyed dozens of boats anchored at Gaza's port.

Cyprus and Slovakia on Wednesday evening suspended all their flights to Tel Aviv until further notice. The Egyptian airline Air Sinai, a subsidiary of Egypt Air company, also halted on Thursday all its flights between the airports of Cairo and Ben Gurion. This came just hours after Al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas had warned foreign airlines not to fly to Tel Aviv as of Thursday morning. The warning came as Israeli warplanes on Wednesday carried out dozens of airstrikes on Gaza after the truce talks in Cairo collapsed, forcing the Palestinian resistance to resume its counterattacks on Israeli targets. Consequently, Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv was put on high alert following threats by Al-Qassam Brigades to launch rocket attacks in retaliation to Israel's deadly air raids on Gaza. In another development, Israel's second channel said on Wednesday that the national soccer tournament in Israel was postponed due to the war on Gaza, adding that the authorities prevented public buses from traveling on all southern roads